Rotary power-driven plow



Nov. 23, 1954 u. GATT] ROTARY POWER-DRIVEN PLOW 5 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 8, 1948 Ubcddo 60-++L 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 8, 1948 'lNvgNT R Nov. 23, 1954 u. GATT] ROTARY POWER-DRIVEN PLOW 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 8, 1948 United States Patent Ofiice 2,694,968 Phtented N ov,v 23, 1954 This machine comprises screw rotating devices, which are driven by means of vertical shafts provided with. a

suitable bevel'gear. Further, means are provided to allow the hoistingof the tool-holders by rotation for starting of the work and for road-transportation, or by vertical translation forthe adjustment of'the depth, and alsofor starting'of the work.

Further improvements form one object of the present application. According to these improvements, the mo tion from the central shaft is transmitted by bevel gearsthrough a horizontal and transversal shaft-to shafts parallel to the rotational axes of the tools, whence the motion is transmitted to the axes of the same tools by means of suitably stretched chains. The transversal shaft is mounted on a casing constituted by a central section and two lateral independent parts; to which the vertical arms-of the tools are made solid, said two lateral parts rotating independently on bearings coaxial with the trans versal shaft for motion; means are providedfor the controlof the rotation of the two parts of the casing carry ing the tools. The above mentioned bearings are held by a chassis or frame connected to the machine by vertical. slides, means being provided for the control of the slidesv of the chassis or frame, in order to adjust the depth of. the digging.

The same tools can be made to have one or more inclined blade forms, this resultingv in a more. suitable and more economical device.

The frame which is vertically slidableis arranged at the rear of the vehicle, which may be especially a tractor; the tool-holding arms, in the working position, are vertical and carry the tools at a suitable depth in the ground, such depth being adjustable-by means of a vertical sliding movement of the frame upon rails or guides carried by the vehicle. When the device is traveling along a road, the tool-holding'arms and the side rotating sections of the casing are rotated upon a horizontal and transverseshaft. so that arms can be arranged in the rear and can be suitably sloped, in order that the tools do not touch the ground.

The tools, in their working position, rotate upon a conventional geometric axis, parallel to the direction. of advance. of the. vehicle; therefore, during thev motion of the'vehicle; the inclined blades cut, bytheir sharpened front edge; the ground ina direction substantially transverse with respect to' the geometric rotational axis of the tools and;with: respectlto the directionof advanceof: the vehicle;. The-earth, thus cut by means of. the tools, is projected: backwardly" by the: same inclinedpbladesl' Inorder, to overcome the. inconvenience of: the irregularities, in the" depth of fthe. Work;-due .to the factithat the single furrows. worked by each screw areseparated by a spire of hard soils-suitable: means". are provided, such as knives, pointers, small. coulters or other similar devices, which eliminate these strips of'hard soil, these means being held'by the ffame=fon the tools.

Furthermore, it is to be understood, as it will be. fullyexplained hereafter, that the machine inquestion. can be arranged to be driven by'suitabl'e electric motors.

In the. accompanying drawings'one embodiment of the invention is shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partial horizontal. section. of one half of the device for the motion of the tools, the section-being taken alongthe line A--A of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is:a vertical sectionv onthe line B-C--D'--E of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a verticalsection on the line F--F, likewise of 1'1 Fig: 4-isi-a front view -of 'the screw tool;

Fig: 5 is a; schematictra'nsverse section of the soil as worked" according tov this invention.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view in elevation, showing the chain tightener.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line H-H of Fig. 6, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the handwheel and worm drive forraisingand loweringtheplough relative to the propelling vehicle.

Fig. 9 is adiagrammatic viewin elevation showing the plough applied to a tractor, including a universal type of coupling to the power take off ofthe tractor.

As it is'to'be seen in thedrawing, at least two bears ings 1 are provided on the back part of the'vehicle-towing device. These bearings' are symmetrically placedand are-provided'withvertical. sliding guides 2, and an internal screw or female screw 3, axially parallel to the guide 2, is placed-ion thebearings 1. By this internal screw, a ver'- tical shaft 4 is engaged, and held in rotation by an element 5 such as a stirrup, whichconstitutes, a carriage 6 sliding on the guides 2. The elements 5 symmertrically placed in relation to B-C the longitudinal axes of symmetry of the machine, are connected, one to another, by means'of tubular transversal members7. Ball bearings 8 coaxial'to other bearings 9 connected to the elements 5,. are fixed to the ends of the upper transverse member 7.- On these bearings 8-9 an appropriately shaped casing 10 can rotate. These casings 10 are engaged by suitable ring-shaped grooves 11 with a central section 12 of the casing, which latter is not rotatable, but is directly engaged to the tubular transverse members 77.

The shaft 13, connected by the flange 14 to the longitudinal motion transmitting shaft, is provided with suitable universal joints, and' is located on suitable'bearings in' the fixed or stationary section 12 of the casing; The shaft 13, by means of the bevel gear 15, transmits the rotation to the transverse shaft-16, held on suitable bearings, which are positioned in the casing 10 and are coaxialwith the bearings 8 and 9.

From the shaft 16, by means-of bevel gears 17-17, motion is' transmittedto parallel and longitudinal shafts 18-48, horizontally located in the working position and also mounted on bearings placedwithinappendent portions, 1919,' of the casing 10.

Multiple pinion gears 20, upon which the chains 21 are wound, are splined on the shaft 18. The chains are seatedin. the hollow section of the arms 22', present in one or more portions of the casings 10, which carry, at the lower end, shafts 23 provided with pinions 24 for the chains and'screw tools 25, which thus receive motion from the shafts 18 via the chains-21.

The screw tools 25 (see Figs. 2 and 4)' are constituted byaxcentral nucleus 26, to which four blades 27-27 with paralleliedges suitably sharpened andwith a pointed head, are fixed, for instance by welding; These flat blades are locatedso as to have antadequate' inclination with relation to the axis of'rotation and to the conventional axis of rotation, toward the backv section, as it is'clearly to be seen in the drawing. In the front and in the centre, the nucleus 26 has a lozenge shaped stud 28' with slightly tapered edges;

The arms 22, which in. the working'position are vertical andturneddownwards, are four "in-number, held two by two, by the sections Not the rotating casing and are always connected in' pairs, one to'another bytransverse members 2929' which last can appropriately be hooked; during the Working, to the vehicle chassis, so as tosecure greater'rigidity andresistance to stresses.

The arms 22 are arranged to be displaced from the vertical working position to a road-transport position. For this purpose, the arms22 andthe-side sectionsltl of. the casing, integral to the arms, are'rotated by means of the annular dovetails 11 and the bearings 8 and 9 around a geometric axis coinciding with the geometric axis'of'the transverse shaft 16. The arms are rearwardly'rotatedl in order to reach an inclined position for road-transport, in which nomember, carried by the arms22 touches the ground.' Inorder to realize this motion o'f"ro'tatio'n, a toothed sector 30,- integral. with each; bracket" 5, may be provided;

Tine-meshes: with"; a; wheel. 31; held. ewe. shaft 32 pivoted on the appendent portions 1919 of the corresponding rotating section 10 of the casing 1012. The shaft 32 can be driven by hand by a suitable handle, or alternatively can be driven mechanically by means of pinions 33, which mesh with worm screws 34 splined on the shafts 18, driven by the motor. In such case a gear-type or friction clutch, besides the locking devices above mentioned, must also be provided. The rotation of the shaft 32, however driven, determines the rotation of the sprocket wheel 31 on the sector and thus the consequent lifting or lowering of the arms 22 and the rotation of the corresponding element 10 around the pivots 89. It is obvious that each shaft 10 of the casing 1012, and its arms 22},1 can be rotated independently with respect to one anot er.

The setting of the depth occurs by means of vertically sliding or moving the slides 6 in relation to the bearings 1 fixed on the chassis of the motor vehicle. This sliding is determined by giving an appropriate rotation to the threaded pivot 4, for instance by means of a gear wheel 35 meshing a worm screw 36 held by a horizontal shaft 37. The shaft 37 can be driven by hand, by means of a suitable handle 38, or alternatively mechanically, for instance, through an appropriate transmission (not shown in the drawing) by a shaft 38 meshing, by means of a coupling with a gear 39 and a worm screw 40, on the central motor shaft 13. In such a case a clutch is provided, or if necessary, a device of any suitable well-known type which allows rotation to be inverted in sense, e. g. a socalled reversing gear. There once having been adjusted the relative position between the slide 6 and the guide 2, these devices are locked by a pressure brake, operated by a lever 41.

The transmission of motion to the shaft 13 is allowed by the universal joints provided in the transmission from the motor, which also allow changes of inclination and length due to the displacements of the slides 6.

In order to assure the tension of the chains 21, a sprocket wheel 42 on the side of each chain is provided (see Fig. 7), and this is mounted so as to be free on a pivot 43, which is held eccentrically in relation to the sprocket wheel, by bearings provided at the sides of the arms 22 of the tool-holders, means being provided in order to change the angular position of these eccentric pivots and thus to adjust, by approach or removal of the sprocket wheel 42, the tension of the respective chain 21. Referring to Fig. 7, the extended portions 43a, 43a of pivot 43 are held in bearings, and adjusting member 43c, held by check nut 43b allows shift of one bearing due to the play provided by member 43d.

The described rotational tools operate in the following way. They rotate in the working position, according to the geometric axis of the shaft 23, which is parallel to the direction of advance of the vehicle. During the advance of the vehicle and the rapid rotation of the tools, the sharpened front edges of the blades 27 cut the earth in a direction substantially transverse to the direction of advance of the vehicle. The earth cut by the edges is projected rearwardly by the rear surfaces of the blades 27, by the effect of the rotation of the tools. The stud 28 in front of the nucleus 26 of each rotational tool provides a means to crush the earth, in correspondence with the nucleus or hub 26.

The arms 22 can carry more screw tools, one above the other, arranged longitudinally in order to increase the depth of the working (digging), the transmission for the various tool-holder shafts being provided by variations in the devices of the above described embodiment, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In this way, the number of the arms 22 can be varied and in correspondence therewith, the width of the workfront. Furthermore, means can be provided for the elimination of the spires 44 left on the bottom of the furrow worked by the tools (see specifically Fig. Such purpose can be accomplished by providing appropriate knives 45 or small coulters, like pointers, which are fixed to the rotating frame of the machine and which act on the Zones 44 of hard soil, resulting between the sections worked by the single tools.

The machine herein described can be electrically driven. This can be done by a direct supply with loose electric cables or leads, or by a motor-generator set (D. C. or A. C.) operated by an engine 100 (more specifically of the internal combustion type) located on the main frame.

The advanciugof the machine can then be caused by a direct drive 101, 102 from the same engine, or by independent electric motors. This is particularly apt when advance is made by the use'of Caterpillar tracks, instead of by wheels. Furthermore, electric motors for each rotating tool, or for each set of them, can be provided. The motors can be applied with their axes horizontally (in the working position of the tools) with the transmission by means of a vertical shaft or by chain-combined with an appropriate reduction: or the motors can be located with their axes vertically, in substitution for or in combination with the vertical shafts of the motion transmission mechanism to the single tools. With the embodiment now described mechanical transmission from the motor on the chassis to the oscillating frame for the tools, and the function of the transmission device of the transversal shaft, on which the frame rotates, are eliminated. Instead, the supply cables or leads, for the motor or motors of the tools, are sutficient for the purpose. In Fig. 9, the mechanical drive to the propulsion wheel is from engine via gear box 101 and drive shaft 102. The tool drive is from the gear box via joint 103a, shaft 103, joint 103b, shaft 104, joint 105, shaft 106, and final joint 107. The function of each of these well-known mechanical expedients will be apparent to one skilled in the art, from inspection of Fig. 9.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. A rotary plough of the class described, comprising, in combination, a motor driven propelling vehicle having a driving shaft, a supporting member adapted for direct connection to said propelling vehicle; a frame member vertically movable with respect to said supporting member and carried thereby; a transverse shaft journaled in said frame member; a downwardly extending arm pivoted to said transverse shaft; a forwardly and rearwardly extending shaft disposed in the lower end of said arm; rotary soil cutting means carried by said forwardly and rearwardly extending shaft; power transmission means for driving said soil cutting means and interconnecting said transverse and said forwardly and rearwardly extending shafts; and a shaft carried by said frame member and adapted to be coupled to said driving shaft for driving said transverse shaft.

2. A plough according to claim 1, wherein said downwardly extending arm is hollow, and wherein said power transmission means comprises a chain and sprocket drive with said chain extending longitudinally within said hollow arm.

3. A plough according to claim 1, characterized by supplementary soil cutting means carried by said downwardly extending arm and fixed relatively thereto and disposed to cut soil adjacent to the soil cut by said rotary soil cutting means, said supplementary soil cutting means being actuated by movement of said propelling vehicle.

4. In a rotary power driven plough including a supporting member, a cutting tool supported by said member including a rotatable shaft, a nucleus formed on one end of said shaft, a plurality of spaced blades secured to said nucleus and radiating therefrom at a rearward inclination to the axis of the shaft, each blade being pointed at its extremity, a lozenge-shaped stud formed integrally with and extending forwardly across the front of the nucleus, said stud having slightly tapered edges, and blades radially fixed on the supporting member rearwardly of the blades on the nucleus, the end of said fixed blades overlapping and adapted to cut the soil remaining between the furrows cut by the blades on the nucleus.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,182,067 Whittell May 9, 1916 1,561,978 Garcia Nov. 17, 1925 1,659,674 Turner Feb. 21, 1928 1,781,743 Antoni Nov. 18, 1930 1,789,399 Bartenbach et al. Jan. 20, 1931 1,824,098 Patzschke Sept. 22, 1931 2,048,196 Phillips July 21, 1936 2,177,803 Ferte et al. Oct. 31, 1939 2,182,157 McDermott Dec. 5, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 57,979 Netherlands, Aug. 15,1946 

